Tim Keller's 5 Questions to Ask of Scripture

Something quite helpful I recently found while perusing the blogosphere:

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Some years ago, I heard Keller speak on his five questions to ask as you read the bible daily . . .

1. How can I praise him?

2. How can I confess my sins on the basis of this text?

3. If this is really true, what wrong behaviour, what harmful emotions or false attitudes result in me when I forget this? Every problem is because you have forgotten something. What problems are you facing?

4. What should I be aspiring to on the basis of this text?

5. Why are you telling me this today?

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Thank you once again Dr. Keller!

Make God's Word Your "Thing"

Thank you Dr. Keller . . . again.

Make God's Word Your 'Thing' from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

Speaking with Conviction

I found this off Josh Harris' site (who got it off Tim Challies). Like, totally solid?



OR "visualizing the typography"

Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.

The Godly Man (the ongoing saga . . .)

Psalm 112 (NIV '84)

1 Praise the LORD.

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who finds great delight in his commands.

2 His children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.
5 Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 Surely he will never be shaken;
a righteous man will be remembered forever.
7 He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear;
in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
9 He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor,
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn will be lifted high in honor.

10 The wicked man will see and be vexed,
he will gnash his teeth and waste away;
the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

For more reading, check out the Puritan Thomas Watson's work "The Godly Man's Picture . . ."

John Piper & the Prosperity Gospel

Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

Terribly Vexed

Commodus: "It vexes me. I'm terribly vexed." Thank you Dr. Keller.

Asian American Christian Thought and Theological History: Pastoral Implications for Diversity and Innovation in a Multiracial Church

Stephen Um and Julius Kim do a great job of capturing some key thoughts regarding Asian-American Christian ministry. They led a workshop during round 2 of the 2011 The Gospel Coalition National Conference entitled, "Asian American Christian Thought and Theological History: Pastoral Implications for Diversity and Innovation in a Multiracial Church." Nothing radically seismic in regards to theology or ecclesiology, I just found it refreshing and candid. It also doesn't hurt that Um is a council member of The Gospel Coalition and Kim is on faculty at Westminster Seminary California . . . not to mention that both are "on team" with the PCA. Too often, the only voices being barked in this conversation are the left of center, inclusive hugging, social gospel hopping, eisegesis processing, allegorical thinking, less-than-biblical & more-on-psychological/culture/experience, local-born and/or N-American raised Korean/Chinese/Japanese . . . how refreshing it is to hear people who truly have a high view of Scripture prophetically speak into the Body of Christ. Yes, it really has been that long.

Moralism & the Canucks

Everything spilled over for the best stew of godless behavior last night immediately following the end of the final period of game 7 of the Stanley Game playoffs. Whether it was a good idea to mix families and drunken deadbeat single men should probably be reviewed by the likes of the City of Vancouver and CBC ("fan zone"). Every other city on the planet has experiences like this. For the Euro-Latin soccer fans, they know if they riot they WILL pay with pain and police-inflicted impunity. I was hoping to see VPD crack some heads (they're probably worried about the socialist anti-cop groups following them around). However for both residents of Vancouver and the surrounding boroughs (who support the team both financially and via social media), who exactly showed up to do damage to the city? Where were they from, which demographic did they fit, when did they arrive to burn Vancouver? Repeatedly throughout last evening's broadcast, I found myself hearing the quips of amoralistic and moralistic banter being driven by blatant images and acts of immorality and severe stupidity. Even the mayor of Vancouver was able to note that "the acts of violence were being committed by a small group of young men." For a city which prides itself in being amoral and inclusive, it seems that Vancouver does have a moral compass after all. The obvious evidence of 15 years worth of culture-induced hatred towards godly ideals regarding manhood and womanhood were clearly being displayed last night. Nothing just came out of nowhere. The groups of opportunistic, indifferent, voyeuristic, curiosity-driven, irresponsible punks who ran around downtown were raised on the likes of lousy television, goofy movies, celebrity moronic behavior and a wholesale all-around insulated privileged upbringing resulting from the hard work of their parents and a liberal government trying to fight tradition for the sake of progress and innovation. Clearly, everyone ought to agree that sometimes old school is just not that bad. This most recent riot is quite revealing in that it tells of mankind's inability to save itself in and of itself. This town needs Jesus, even the well-wishing, good intentioned radio call-in folk . . . this town need some godly parenting to spank, beat up, knock out, then trash their loser sons to the curb when they stumbled home at 7:00AM this morning smelling like beer, smoke and tear gas.



On a side note, even for the innocent passerby (who should have but did not leave downtown for 5 hours) or the seemingly helpless Iphone video-ing person, grab all the fools and dump them off in Syria for a government sponsored session on corporal punishment. Better yet, drop them off in Pakistan for some awareness training in maintaining the image of the country in which you currently receive welfare from.

Should heckling be banned in Parliament?

That was the subject of discussion this morning on Q. "The former Liberal MP and Deputy Prime Minister, Sheila Copps, argued that heckling, or hectoring, can't be eliminated, and probably shouldn't either." This was a surreal discussion by a grown, adult, middle-aged woman arguing for "name calling" and verbal bullying as an acceptable form of communication within the public federal parliamentary forum when its only other obvious and perceivable option is "picking up arms and bombing our neighbors."

I can already hear it now, "You @#$%!?! Don't worry son, saying that is much better than maiming, killing, amputating, bombing or shooting your opponent" (as Copps would refer to "the opposition"). Now that's worth fighting for.

Discerning Pagan Spirituality from Christianity

Recently on CBC Radio One's "The Current," a documentary was featured which highlighted the conflict which emerged in the village of Oujé Bougamou in Northern Quebec. Apparently, Redfern Mianscum built a sweat lodge behind the home of a village resident. It was "to help his people." However, since the majority of the village are evangelicals, a petition was circulated to remove the lodge and following a municipal vote the structure was torn down.

CT even caught wind of this and posted an article reporting on the incident. Within the CT article, even Native American Christians seem to be divided on the issue - and it doesn't surprise anyone to point out that the Native Americans from the liberal Christian camps are the ones landing squarely within the "inclusive" zone.

So we've got white media reporting on a Native issue (or as we in Canada refer to as "First Nations"), FN Christians from both the left and right - in reality TV fashion - battling out in front of media. Then there is this "white guilt" temporary separation of "religious freedoms and traditions" thing happening. White north Americans will never fully understand that traditions and customs for the rest of the world is often times rooted deeply in spirituality. To argue for one's customs and traditions is very often a fight for one's spiritual beliefs and values.

The village elders of Oujé Bougamou (who incidentally belong to the Pentecostal tradition) felt deeply about the meaning behind the tradition in question. Their ban on the sweat lodge was a ban against the open practice and acceptance of shamanism and pagan spirituality. Maybe this was motivated by numerous testimonies of people who were experiencing demonic attacks which resulted in the inability to sleep and function? Whether or not this was a decision which was made "justly" (according to our pluralist North American legal worldview) is another story. What I found interesting was the commenting from "well-meaning white folk" and "jaded FN folk." I guess all FN people are "suppose" contain within their DNA anti-establishment and "church"-hating tendencies. Or at least that's what the FN activists teach. But then what about the FN Christians? Are they all suppose to pick up assault rifles, march the standoff lines, sign petitions, and adopt the leftist agenda?

Or perhaps we should be asking, "Can Christians attend pow wows, sweat lodge ceremonies, rain dances, etc.?"

From the CT article one pastor commented, "Where in the Bible can you go where sacred objects used by nations were ever redeemed and used to worship God?" asks Ojibwe evangelist Craig Smith, whose ministry is affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance. "In the Old Testament, that didn't bring God into the sanctuary. That drove him away."

Regardless of what Pastor Smith (who is native) has to say, "freedom of religious expression" seems to be the band wagon on this round . . . which only further promotes my confusion of white folk. How and why do they "go to battle" over certain religious/tradition-related issues and not over others? For example, down the road at UBC, the majority non-Asian Board of Governors (2 Chinese) has approved the building of a hospice next to a neighboring high-rise. Despite the protest of the many Chinese & Korean tenants, the white liberal, pacific northwest agenda still goes forward.

*Side note: Even though 40% of the UBC student population is Asian, out of 49 seats in the student council (for the 2010-2011 year) only 7 are Asian. My math is pretty bad, is that 14%? Back in 2009, MacLeans reported that there were no Asians on the student council.

For those who are late to the show, there is some cultural nuance and hidden gems worth mining in this story. For the majority of Asian cultures, customs and superstitions regarding the dying and dead inform and dictate daily life and existence. If someone in the family dies, depending on whether the person is older or younger, the rites of the dead will follow suite accordingly. If the person who dies is younger, the elderly never show respect to those who are younger. Whereas if the person who dies is older, everyone who is younger must show respect to that individual even to the extent of postponing weddings and other festive events (everyone pays and everyone mourns - life ceases and stops). In regards to death itself, it is very improper (bad luck) and potentially virally improper to reside in a dwelling so close to a place where people who are confirmed to die are spending their last day. To live next to a hospice could potentially destroy a person's future, livelihood and social network; the cause & effect of the present situation will ruin one's future of luck, success and happiness.

But then again, for the Chinese Christian, this is a area of familiar tension. Many Chinese Christians do not bow - out of the respect - for the dead at funerals. Many Chinese Christians do not live in superstitious paranoia as many Chinese normally do. Many Chinese Christians don't care about flow of fire, water and spiritual energy in their homes as many other Chinese may do. Then there are the Chinese Christians who are so afraid of their dead relatives, parents and grand parents that they "do all the Chinese stuff" anyways. So aside from the the issue of the Oujé Bougamou elders perhaps unjustly using their municipal powers to ban something they felt was not right, what was the issue again? Then again, if the entire community which voted and supported the elders in the first place democratically decided and confirmed the ruling . . . what was the issue again? This sounds a lot like the folks down in Lynden, WA fighting over whether or not businesses should be allowed to be open on Sunday . . . the Lord's Day . . . the Sabbath . . . and did I mention the town was founded by Dutch Reformed folks?

I vaguely remember something about a pagan golden calf being God's temporary stand-in somewhere in Exodus. I guess He didn't like that one either.

Who are the Enemies of 21st Century 2nd Generation Chinese Christians?

"2nd generation" is a generic reference to anyone who is raised/born somewhere else than wherever their "respective mother country" (ethnic country of origin) may be. Other terms such as "local-born" (Canadian or American-born; CBC/ABC) or "N. American-raised" [or UK, Australian, South American, etc.] can also be used synonymously with this description.

But in particular, for the North American raised (or born) Chinese Christian, what are the present threats that seek to undermine their faith in Jesus? Increasingly and more clearly, over the past 15 years, I have observed the steady increase of the following idols gaining power within the CBC/ABC church:

- materialism
- consumerism
- confused individualism

I guess "materialism" in this case would be "economic materialism" which is something that describes a behavior or value that places priority and importance in the collection of material goods. This is nothing new for CBC/ABCs, we always have the latest tech, gadgets and thing-a-ma-bobs the free market has to sell. Price is no obstacle in many instances, the temptation for "more stuff" is greater than one's desire to glorify God. Just look at what is parked in your garage, what is plugged into the lighter in that thing parked in the garage, what your garage is attached/detached to, the stuff that is plugged into that attached/detached home, etc. For a vomit-inducing experience, just go on facebook or twitter.

Consumerism describes the environment or "social/economic order" which fosters the desire to purchase and acquire goods and services in increasingly greater amounts. Not to be confused with "consumer protection" or "consumer awareness" (which is something that your local Better Business Bureau attempts to promote). Obviously, consumerism and materialism are connected. The desire to acquire "more stuff" could be described as the "consumerist" tendency for greater amounts of material wealth.

Lastly, there is something which would be best described as "confused individualism" which is quite present in many CBC/ABC Christian communities. This is that odd tension which surfaces when local-born Chinese fight for their rights, promote themselves and hang out their shameless laundry of self-serving, "spoiled & privileged" values. Call it equality or the "emperor [or empress] syndrome," many CBC/ABCs gain entry into adulthood believing that they have a "license to sin" and "permission to express themselves" with utter freedom and "a right which I have earned to." "Pay now or later" often comes to mind as many eventually insanely engage warp speed then smash into a wall of reality, shame and humiliation years later. Over compensating for a shame-based culture? Probably. But seriously, are you really that important and deserving? Suck it up, shut up and grow up. You are a sinner, a whinner and a baby. Are you really that which Mommy and Daddy say you are? (or didn't say you are?) No, not really - but God really is "all that" (and more).

Anyhow, all three of these "things" seem to be of greater importance to many CBC/ABC Christians nowadays (is that nominalism?). Many have bought into the fallacy that "with wealth comes power" when in fact for the CBC/ABC "with love of money comes destruction." Scripture offers a stable and steady encouragement of both "ands" - suffer and sacrifice for the sake of righteousness (Jesus) and you will experience real life. Patience and long-suffering are valued in God's economy "wait patiently for the Lord" - God is not about "customer care and satisfaction." How far deep are we into this now? 25 years? The theological and ecclesiological divide is deeper and further now as time goes on.

A sobering reminder of the global inequality that results from consumerism and materialism is found here.

This inequality is not just a poverty/developing country thing either. For example, the current population of Canada & the US is roughly 345,939,000 people. There are around 6,920,000,000 people on planet earth. North America accounts for ONLY 4% of the global population. Currently China (Atheist), India (Hindu) & Indonesia (Muslim) combined have around 2,787,474,637 people - that's 40% of the global population. Food for thought, where do we (N. Americans) get off thinking that our ideas, books and theology are somehow more developed and better than the rest of the world? Moreover, where do we get off believing that our elite ideas ought to govern and inform the global Christian community? When materialism, consumerism collide with Zondervan, ridiculously over priced N. American seminaries, the silliness of N. American "christian" (with a small "c") spirituality . . . it's just an elite group of people with too much time, money, privilege and goofiness. That's western theological colonialism (inequality) on a global scale . . . and sadly, many CBC/ABCs are either platinum card carriers of that program or would like to sign up when it becomes available.

How ought we respond to this? Do we buy into more N. American culture? Do we adapt third world principles? Do we bury our heads in the sand? Perhaps, we could start by repenting of our sins and submitting ourselves to God's established created order as set forth by His word. Perhaps as people repent of their sins the Holy Spirit may begin a real work within the heart of people who humbly come before God with the desire for Jesus to be uplifted and glorified in their lives. Yes, there are the programs, methods and steps for church growth, spirituality and missional living - but seriously? Nothing . . . like nothing (nada) . . . nothing beats the power of the Holy Spirit convicting the world of sin and righteousness. Nothing beats that.

"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22.37 - 40 NIV)

The Father's Work in Salvation

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." (Jesus in JN 6.44 NIV) "On hearing it, many of his disciples said, 'This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?'" (v.60). "He [Jesus] went on to say, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him'" (v.65).

ΙΧΘΥΣ [Ickthoos] = fish [Koine Greek]

"And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people" (Matthew 14.19 NIV).

Ἰησοῦς - Yae-sue (Jesus)
Χριστός - Chris-tos (Anointed One)
Θεοῦ - The-ou (God)
Υἱός - Hui-os (Son)
Σωτήρ - So-ter (Saviour)

Collin Hansen over at CT writes a great article on the origins of this symbol of Christian bumper stick fame.

Proud of Our Troops!

A salute to my brethren south of the border!

Home, home on the range . . .

During the safety briefing, the Range Officer looks over at me and my companion "so uh, anyone here ever shoot a gun before?" As I looked around, I knew 2 in the party were newbs . . . so I raised my hand. With a somewhat puzzled look, the RO carefully studied me to read whether or not I was telling the truth. "Yeah sure . . . you a cop? Is this a safety check on our facility?" After confirming his insecurities with another party who also thought he was correct the RO continued with his firearms safety demo with a smile "just in case, I will be extra thorough in my demo this afternoon."


Aside from admiring the Steyr .50 BMG (single shot, no mag - that would be the M1) sitting in the showroom, it was a great afternoon date with a great pair: a Glock 17 and a "Die Hard" Beretta 92FS. Checked out the new Roni pistol/carbine conversion for the Glock 17 (and 23) as well, click here for a great video review, go here for the Roni in action. Inventive and clever system for close quarters combat; not to mention $$$ saver.

The Work of the Trinity in Regeneration

*Regeneration is a sovereign work of God (Jn. 1:12-13; 3:3-8; Jas. 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:3) a radical work or total transformation (Ezek. 36:26-27; 1 Jn. 3:9) not just an addition.

- The SOURCE of regeneration is Christ (1 Pet 1:3; Eph 1:3, 2:4, 4:24; 2 Cor 5:17)
- The AGENT of regeneration is the Holy Spirit (Jn. 3:3-8; Titus 3:5)
- The INSTRUMENT of regeneration is the Word of God (Jas. 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:23, 25) which precedes and causes faith (Jn 6:63-65, 1 Jn 5:1, Eph. 2:5)

(*credit to John Hendryx for the above mentioned)

What is regeneration?

In his book, Concise Theology, Dr. J.I. Packer writes the following under the heading, "REGENERATION THE CHRISTIAN IS BORN AGAIN."

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." JOHN 3:3

Regeneration is a New Testament concept that grew, it seems, out of a parabolic picture-phrase that Jesus used to show Nicodemus the inwardness and depth of the change that even religious Jews must undergo if they were ever to see and enter the kingdom of God, and so have eternal life (John 3:3-15). Jesus pictured the change as being "born again."

The concept is of God renovating the heart, the core of a person’s being, by implanting a new principle of desire, purpose, and action, a dispositional dynamic that finds expression in positive response to the gospel and its Christ. Jesus’ phrase "born of water and the Spirit" (John 3:5) harks back to Ezekiel 36:25-27, where God is pictured as symbolically cleansing persons from sin’s pollution (by water) and bestowing a "new heart" by putting his Spirit within them. Because this is so explicit, Jesus chides Nicodemus, "Israel’s teacher," for not understanding how new birth happens (John 3:9-10). Jesus’ point throughout is that there is no exercise of faith in himself as the supernatural Savior, no repentance, and no true discipleship apart from this new birth.

Elsewhere John teaches that belief in the Incarnation and Atonement, with faith and love, holiness and righteousness, is the fruit and proof that one is born of God (1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4). It thus appears that as there is no conversion without new birth, so there is no new birth without conversion.

Though infant regeneration can be a reality when God so purposes (Luke 1:15, 41-44), the ordinary context of new birth is one of effectual calling—that is, confrontation with the gospel and illumination as to its truth and significance as a message from God to oneself. Regeneration is always the decisive element in effectual calling.

Regeneration is monergistic: that is, entirely the work of God the Holy Spirit. It raises the elect among the spiritually dead to new life in Christ (Eph. 2:1-10). Regeneration is a transition from spiritual death to spiritual life, and conscious, intentional, active faith in Christ is its immediate fruit, not its immediate cause. Regeneration is the work of what Augustine called "prevenient" grace, the grace that precedes our outgoings of heart toward God.

Thank you Dr. Packer!

Quoting Myself

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Jesus of Nazareth, cf. Matthew 5.10)

"There is a difference between being persecuted for being ignorant versus being persecuted for righteousness." (JP circa. early 2000s)

Spec-OPS Cooperate in N. Africa

Where is the UK (SAS) and France (Legion) in all this? Their operators are specifically skilled and familiar with the people and terrain.

For the record, my thoughts on Bin Laden's death are echoed and in full agreement with Dr. Mohler. I believe his thoughts reflect quite clearly my views on the situation.

Being Satisfied With Nothing Else

"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days" (Psalm 90.14).

What does "being satisfied by God's love" look like for those who profess to be followers of Jesus? Aren't we a culture satisfied by practices, methods, approaches, value systems, ideology and brands? A quick search on Amazon reveals the different types of Christianity that one could subscribe to . . . the different types of church or non-churches . . . types of eschatology . . . missional approaches . . . theologizing . . . central or decentralized leadership . . .

What does "being satisfied by God's love" look like for those who profess that Jesus is Lord and Savior of their lives?

What's wrong with a little harmless idealism?

Since the world just received news of Bin Laden's untimely death ~ and witnessed the idealist response of an idealistic presidential administration. It is poetic and providentially-enriching to reflect upon the principles that caused the world's most wanted man to deviate from orthodoxy.

According to Eric Marrapodi's evaluation, Bin Laden was just another religious, idealistic, radical liberal in his own right. In his editorial entitled, "Bin Laden's Theology a Radical Break with traditional Islam" Marrapodi suggests that the core of what Bin Laden taught or ranted about was NOT Islamic orthodoxy - in fact, according to this CNN Blog Co-Editor, he was a down right, old fashion apostate. Bin Laden was just another liberal who fulfilled his liberal mandate of utopian pipe dreams and fantasy. Another guy who stepped away from orthodoxy and made his beliefs the law.

Apparently, when one no longer abides by their team's Holy Writ, and for example - adds spice with external sources and "good ideas" - they can potentially fall away from their team's perspective of truth and become just another infidel. In my circles we call this the inerrancy debate - substituting the advanced human brain for the infinite wisdom of a Holy God. Ironic? Think Emergent, Classical Liberalism & Radical Extremism. Try nailing jello to the wall for more luck. No accountability, no tracks to run on, no real dialogue and definately no acceptance. Not much different from each other.

Oh and by the way, did anyone else note the tab that this guy cost us? $2.5 trillion according to CNN. Yes, let's allow the idealists to shoot their mouths off now because our present inaction will increase in value when they bomb and shoot us later . . . and go on to destroy our economy of community and orthodoxy. Yes, let's respond to the "do gooders" with more useless idealistic stupidity . . . and hope that as we embrace the rhythms of contemplative spirituality something like a rainbow will pop out of some donkey's . . .

Osama said he would bring down capitalism while others have said they would bring down the North American evangelical movement. Similar principals? Oh yeah, you bet your momma's car on that! Everything starts somewhere . . . everything will come to an end . . . everything has a cost . . . everything draws us close to God or away. To choose to do nothing is a choice in itself.

"God is better . . ."

Don't take the bait, swim away . . . you gonna leave God for that?

Divine Wisdom

"Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words, or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar" (Proverbs 30.5 - 6 NIV).

"It's not fair . . ."

It's not fair that I'm in a small church.
It's not fair that I'm not in a small church.
It's not fair that I'm a pastor.
It's not fair that I'm not a pastor.
It's not fair that I'm a leader and not a follower.
It's not fair that I'm a follower and not a leader.
It's not fair that I'm still married.
It's not fair that I'm still not married.
It's not fair that I've got kids.
It's not fair that I don't got kids.
It's not fair that I'm a man and not a woman.
It's not fair that I'm a woman and not a man.
It's not fair that I work so hard.
It's not fair that I'm such a slacker.
It's not fair that I'm a husband and not a wife.
It's not fair that I'm a wife and not a husband.
It's not fair that I'm Chinese.
It's not fair that I'm not Chinese.
It's not fair that I'm a Christian.
It's not fair that I'm not Christian.

It's not fair that Kangaroos carry their young in their pouch.
It's not fair that Rabbits can reproduce so quickly.
It's not fair that Dogs can lick their behinds.
It's not fair that birds can fly, fish can swim and bears can sleep all winter.

It's not fair that I'm in jail.
It's not fair that I'm not in jail.

It's not fair that heroin is so addictive.
It's not fair that I can't operate on myself.
It's not fair that I have a heart and brain.
It's not fair that I need air to breath and food to eat.
It's not fair that woman can bear children and men can't.
It's not fair that men can marry women but can't marry their sister, mother or daughter.
It's not fair that I can't have multiple wives.
It's not fair that I grew up middle-class.
It's not fair that I'm not in abject poverty.
It's not fair that our government is so easy going.
It's not fair that things are fair.

It's not fair that God has a position on so many things.
It's not fair that there is only one way to heaven.
It's not fair that good things happen to bad people.
It's not fair that God created everything each according to its own . . .

"Life's not fair, but God is good." To say "it's not fair" is to desire equality in some area that we do not want responsibility in. In some weird manner, it is to defy and oppose God and His created order . . . because we secretly think that it's not fair that God is God and we are not.

What is liberal theology?

According to Dr. Al Mohler, he quotes Richard Niebuhr, "A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross" (H. Richard Niebuhr, The Kingdom of God in America; New York: Harper and Row, 1959; page 193). A Christless Christianity that is void of God's wrath, man's sin and a Jesus who never went to the cross (because it's just too violent and grotesque to think about as civilized, rational beings).

I had a theology professor who once quipped, "if a rat falls into a cookie jar, does it make it a cookie?" Nope.

If a tree fell in the forest . . .

. . . would you hear it? This was too sweet to pass up.

Ekklesia & The Missional Church

Something which has been stewing on my mind as of late is the whole idea of "ekklesia" being this "source of wisdom and good counsel for the wider society in which it is embedded" (ala Frost & Hirsch). I did lousy with 2 semester of Greek, but I do remember that along with the typical usage of "assembly" or "gathering of town folk," the biblical meaning could be taken literally. "Ek" - out from and to; "kaleo" - to call. Not only would this imply an organized [called] gathering, but in addition the implication that the assembly is composed of those who are "called out" and in a Christian sense "separate." Biblically, this would suggest that this particular assembly would be composed of those who are called by God, regenerated by the Spirit, justified by grace and now disciples of Jesus Christ. Having said that, "F & H" have more recently been using the quote "if [the church] were taken away from its neightborhood, would the whole community grieve its loss?" Nowadays, with this evangelical pendulum swing towards the social gospel, we are witnessing an evangelical Costco-sizec purchase of all things moralistic and community-oriented. Does the church of Jesus Christ serve the community for the sake of the community? OR does the church of Jesus Christ serve the community for the sake of Jesus? The missional concept - in some circles - is quite solid, however in other circles might we remember the impact of the "ekklesia" as recorded in Acts by Paul? For example, the "city within a city" called the church of Ephesus? Have we forgotten the riot that resulted with the presence of the gospel of Jesus Christ in that place? Or for that matter, Jesus' own teaching of faith as absolute surrender and loyalty to Him, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple" (Lk 14.26). Why does "missional" in some circles seem to forget that the church is the locus of missions (ala Leslie Newbigen) - it is the place where the redemptive power of Jesus Christ is declared and displayed (proclamation & demonstration of the gospel)? "Missional" is not just about turning the church into my highschool service club, it's got to be about Jesus and find its root/source in Him. Otherwise, close down your church and start a service club . . . becuase that's all you really are. Next we'll be counter-cultural, commune-living hippies . . . wait, that's already happened.

For the record, the Ephesians grieved the presence of the Christians in their city ~ especially the Ephesian temple-related business and artisans . . . they would've celebrated their departure. Talk about counter-cultural.

God's Sovereignty Over Disasters

"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today" (Genesis 50.20 ESV).

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8.28 ESV).

The NIV translates Genesis 50.20 as "God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" . . . perhaps the most difficult thing for a fallen and sinful humanity to imagine is simply "what is good?" Is the present suffering, hardship, tragedy, death, disease that I am enduring good? "Finitum non capax infinitum" as John Calvin posited, "the finite cannot grasp the infinite," As a sinful humanity evaluates the good of a situation with the limitations and temporalness of the finite, will they ever grasp the eternal, infinite holy goodness of the sovereignty God?

Preaching is Important

How does one "be the gospel" without words and preaching? According to Scripture, "being the gospel" requires first the preaching and declaration of the gospel.

"For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm" (Psalms 33.9 ESV). Both the Father and the Son share this one thing in common - proclamation that precedes demonstration. J.I. Packer reminds us that the first act of public ministry performed by Jesus was to preach the gospel, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4.17 ESV & cf. v.23). Such is the importance of such a ministry that a Mighty God would use "speaking" as the primary means of "creating" . . . how important and significant it is for us to always remember "to preach the word."

Divine Wisdom

"It is not good to have zeal without knowledge . . ." (Proverbs 19.2a)

"When I Don't Desire God" ~ Piper's Teaching on Prayer

An excerpt from Dr. John Piper's "When I Don't Desire God" (pages 151 - 152) . . .

"Here’s the way I pray over the Word in my fight for joy . . . IOUS"

I—(Incline!) The first thing my soul needs is an inclination toward God and his Word. Without that, nothing else will happen of any value in my life. I must want to know God and read his Word and draw near to him. Where does that “want to” come from? It comes from God. So Psalm 119:36 teaches us to pray, “Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!” Very simply we ask God to take our hearts, which are more inclined to breakfast and the newspaper, and change that inclination. We are asking that God create desires that are not there.

O—(Open!) Next I need to have the eyes of my heart opened so that when my inclination leads me to the Word, I see what is really there, and not just my own ideas. Who opens the eyes of the heart? God does. So Psalm 119:18 teaches us to pray, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” So many times we read the Bible and see nothing wonderful. Its reading does not produce joy. So what can we do? We can cry to God: “Open the eyes of my heart, O Lord, to see what it says about you as wonderful.”

U—(Unite!) Then I am concerned that my heart is badly fragmented. Parts of it are inclined, and parts of it are not. Parts see wonder, and parts say, “That’s not so wonderful.” What I long for is a united heart where all the parts say a joyful Yes! to what God reveals in his Word. Where does that wholeness and unity come from? It comes from God. So Psalm 86:11 teaches us to pray, “Unite my heart to fear your name.” Don’t stumble over the word fear when you thought we were seeking joy. The fear of the Lord is a joyful experience when you renounce all sin. A thunderstorm can be a trembling joy when you know you can’t be destroyed by lightning. “O Lord, let your ear be attentive to . . . the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name” (Neh. 1:11). “His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD” (Isa. 11:3). Therefore pray that God would unite your heart to joyfully fear the Lord.

S—(Satisfy!) What I really want from all this engagement with the Word of God and the work of his Spirit in answer to my prayers is for my heart to be satisfied with God and not with the world. Where does that satisfaction come from? It comes from God. So Psalm 90:14 teaches us to pray, “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”

Vancouver BC Real Estate Market Roller Coaster

This is a great video produced by the market saavy http://vancouvercondo.info/ ~ "real estate don't hurt people, people hurt people." When I first moved out to the GVRD back in 2006, one group of people swore that post-2010 Winter Olympics would produce the best affordable real estate prices within the Lower Mainland in years. Dude, that never happened ~ maybe, at most, a soft landing and immediate re-launch back into the stupid-sphere. What's up with the agents out here? What's up with realtors in Canada? What's up with the entire industry? Crazy.

Divine Wisdom

Proverbs 3.19 - 27 (ESV)

"The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew. My son, do not lose sight of these — keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it."

Public Service Announcement to All Pastors ~ Be Yourself!

For all you Driscoll-haters and Driscoll wannabes out there . . . check this out. God uses those whom He calls for His purposes. Thank you Matt Chandler for this PSA to pastors everywhere.

Getting Schooled by a Kid in Biblical Theology

God bless his parents!

"The Responsibility of Leadership" by A.W. Tozer

Originally written as an editorial for the Alliance Witness (now Alliance Life magazine), Tozer's writings have since been compiled into the book entitled, "God Tells the Man Who Cares." The following is from chapter 11, "The Responsibility of Leadership." Wise words from "a man of God" - A.W. Tozer.


The history of Israel and Judah points up a truth taught clearly enough by all history, viz., that the masses are or soon will be what their leaders are. The kings set the moral pace for the people.

The public is never capable of acting en masse. Without a leader it is headless and a headless body is powerless. Always someone must lead. Even the mob engaged in pillage and murder is not the disorganized thing it appears to be. Somewhere behind the violence is a leader whose ideas it is simply putting into effect.

Israel sometimes rebelled against her leaders, it is true, but the rebellions were not spontaneous. The people merely switched to a new leader and followed him. The point is, they always had to have a leader.

Whatever sort of man the king turned out to be, the people were soon following his leadership. They followed David in the worship of Jehovah, Solomon in the building of the Temple, Jeroboam in the making of a calf and Hezekiah in the restoration of the temple worship.

It is not complimentary to the masses that they are so easily led, but we are not interested in praising or blaming; we are concerned for truth, and the truth is that for better or for worse religious people follow leaders. A good man may change the moral complexion of a whole nation; or a corrupt and worldly clergy may lead a nation into bondage. The transposed proverb, "Like priest, like people," sums up in four words a truth taught plainly in the Scriptures and demonstrated again and again in religious history.

Today, Christianity in the Western world is what its leaders were in the recent past and is becoming what its present leaders are. The local church soon becomes like its pastor, and this is true even of those groups who do not believe in pastors. The true pastor of such a group is not hard to identify; he is usually the one who can present the strongest argument against any church having a pastor. The strong-minded leader of the local group who succeeds in influencing the flock through Bible teaching or frequent impromptu talks in the public gatherings is the pastor, no matter how earnestly he may deny it.

The poor condition of the churches today may be traced straight to their leaders. When, as sometimes happens, the members of a local church rise up and turn their pastor out for preaching the truth, they are still following a leader. Behind their act is sure to be found a carnal (and often well-to-do) deacon or elder who usurps the right to determine who the pastor shall be and what he shall say twice each Sunday. In such cases the pastor is unable to lead the flock. He merely works for the leader; a pitiful situation indeed.

A number of factors contribute to bad spiritual leadership. Here are a few:

1. Fear. The wish to be liked and admired is strong even among the clergy, so rather than risk public disapproval the pastor is tempted simply to sit on his hands and smile ingratiatingly at the people. "Fear of man will prove to be a snare" (Proverbs 29:25), says the Holy Spirit, and nowhere more than in the ministry.

2. The economic squeeze. The Protestant ministry is notoriously underpaid and the pastor's family is often large. Put these two facts together and you have a situation ready-made to bring trouble and temptation to the man of God. The ability of the congregation to turn off the flow of money to the church when the man in the pulpit gets on their toes is well known. The average Pastor lives from year to year barely making ends meet. To give vigorous moral leadership to the church is often to invite economic strangulation, so such leadership is withheld. But the evil thing is that leadership withheld is in fact a kind of inverted leadership. The man who will not lead his flock up the mountainside leads it down without knowing it.

3. Ambition. When Christ is not all in all to the minister he is tempted to seek place for himself, and pleasing the crowds is a time-proved way to get on in church circles. Instead of leading his people where they ought to go, he skillfully leads them where he knows they want to go. In this way he gives the appearance of being a bold leader of men, but avoids offending anyone, and thus assures ecclesiastical preferment when the big church or the high office is open.

4. Intellectual pride. Unfortunately there is in religious circles a cult of the intelligentsia, which, in my opinion, is merely beatnikism, turned wrong side out. As the beatnik, in spite of his loud protestations of individualism, is in reality one of the most slavish of conformists, so the young intellectual in the pulpit shakes in his carefully polished Oxfords lest he be guilty of saying something trite or common. The people look to him to lead them into green pastures but instead he leads them in circles over a sandy desert.

5. Absence of true spiritual experience. No one can lead another farther than he himself has gone. For many ministers this explains their failure to lead. They simply do not know where to go.

6. Inadequate preparation. The churches are cluttered with religious amateurs culturally unfit to minister at the altar, and the people suffer as a consequence. They are led astray and are not aware of it.

The rewards of godly leadership are so great and the responsibilities of the leader so heavy that no one can afford to take the matter lightly.

What to do when you got the right man for the job? Fire one of the other two men.

The left of Left political party otherwise known as the BC New Democrats [Party] is in a bit of a pickle. Apparently, in their overly idealistic world (aka. party constitution), the top three party spots must represent gender equality. I don't know how that "really" works . . . currently, the "honorable leader" is a woman and the other two spots are "manned" by men (president & treasurer). How does one determine equality with an odd number such as "3"? Or is the unspoken rule that the "leader" actually holds 2 votes and is somehow of more power and influence. In recent weeks, the current "dear leader" Carole James received the boot for no longer qualifying as this "supreme leader" . . . now if the current front runner for the leadership of the NDP just so happens to be a man. Too bad for their senior leadership, in order to get the "right man" for the job the NDP will need to drop either one or two of the other men.

For the NDP, it is more important to have the right man or woman in leadership versus finding the right person. Too bad for them. Maybe they should've planned this more carefully.

Read the article from CBC News below . . . so silly . . .

How the Further Left Critiques the Mostly Left

Native American activist John Trudell was interviewed (from SF) on CBC Radio One's "The Current" this morning. I thought it was interesting to hear how one activist critiqued another . . . assuming that Obama was in fact an activist.

Interviewer: "America elected a former social activist from Chicago, a lawyer who is not a white man . . . to be the president. What did you expect from Obama when he was running for that job?"

JT: "I expected nothing from Obama . . . I think Obama was put into office to serve the interests of the industrial ruling class . . . I don't think he was put there to look out for the interests of the vast majority of citizens, let alone native people."

A 21st Century Queer Spirituality

Kuyperian Quote of the Day

"There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry: 'Mine!'"

(Abraham Kuyper, toward the end of his inaugural address at the founding of the Vrije Universiteit). Thank you Dr. Mouw.

Props to the Home Team!

San Fran #1!

Rest in Peace

"Naked I camed from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised" (Job 1.21 NIV).

Leo F. Yik
Born: July 27, 1970
Died: October 21, 2010

Rest in preace.

Lecrae's "Background" Ft. C-Lite

Young, Black and proud . . . gospel-driven, Christ-centered and Reformed.

The Missional Church for "The Rest of Us" (Dummies)

Move over Guder. Simple, simple, simple ~ good job.

Tolerance in the Pacific NW

As a visible minority, constantly assaulted with liberal banter and verbiage, the reality of our global village is settling in . . . with a vengeance. Despite all the "freedom of speech" rhetoric from the far left, it [free thinking] doesn't really matter when the rubber meets the road. Liberalism thrives in the western world while it is abhorred in most third world countries. Why is that? In its truest state liberalism is hostile and opposed to custom, tradition and convention. So when you pit a liberal against the rest of the world (with all of its culture and values), you have a world that hates North America (and every other western nation).

Case and point. A Seattle cartoonist recently felt that the creators of South Park "sold out" for not airing an episode that had sacreligious caricature of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. So the young woman took it upon herself to excercise her "rights" to draw the Prophet and make it a community event (North American style). What resulted was sweet irony ~ here is the article from the NY Times. Molly Norris, as she was previously known as, has since disappeared and found a new identity - all thanks to the FBI and probably other Federal agencies. You see, Miss Norris' ideas went viral . . . all the way back to Yemen . . . not too long after which a fatwa was issued for her death. She has since gone off the grid and nowhere to be found - thanks to the FBI. Bye bye to hot yoga, carmel lattes, organic cafes and the like. You may think you are excercising your right to political and artistic freedom . . . others may think you are attempting to murder their god and genocide their culture.

Yes, the US is a democratic nation. Yes, they have the right to sovereign rule and government. Yes, blah, blah, blah. That's not the issue. The real issue is whether or not cultural relativism and postmodern thought is legit and valid. Because, if so, all their prophets will eventually die by the sword of a jihadist. BUT if every thought and opionion carries equal weight and deserves a listen, Hitler and Saddam Hussein don't seem all that bad after all.

If you say that you accept everyone, but cannot . . . don't say because you don't mean it. Somehow, I think that the majority of the visible minority living in North America understand this situation a little differently than the white folk. Then again, didn't this already happen back in 2005 somewhere in Denmark?

Sin, Rebuke, Repentance & Restoration - Leadership Lessons from Jesus

Too often, 21st century Christianity promotes a form of spirituality without holiness. It is personal but without Jesus. Self-serving Moralism void of sanctification by grace. Passages regarding sin like the following one tend to drum up quotations about peace, justice and tolerence rather than simply obeying what Jesus instructs.

"'If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." (Luke 17.3 - 4 NIV).

"Lectures to My Students" (C. Spurgeon) - Reading Notes #1

Lecture II - The Call to the Ministry



While Charles Spurgeon affirmed that all believers are called to communicate the gospel, there is a special calling upon those who teach and "bear rule" in the church and supported by the church. Here are a few of Spurgeon's thoughts regarding the signs of God's special calling:

- an intense, all absorbing desire for the work. "Do not enter the ministry if you can help it."
- an aptitude to teach. Including attributes such as: sound judgement, solid experience, gentle manners, a loving spirit, firmness, courage, tenderness and sympathy
- the fruit of evangelism
- the call from the local church. Not necessarily an infalliable sign of God's will, but a necessary ingredient.

"That hundreds have missed their way and stumbled against a pulpit is sorrowfully evident from the fruitless ministries and decaying churches which surround us."

According to Spurgeon, these are some reasons why he felt some men were not called to "full-time, Christian, pastoral ministry":

- overambition to shine among men
- lack of sufficient intelligence
- lack of endurance or experience
- zealousness without substance
- aspiring to the ministry for lack of any direction
- physical deficiencies such as speech impediment
- instability of theological convictions
- ability to weather the storms of the ministry with grace

By far, one of the most, no nonsense, common sensical, realist and "briefest" counsel regarding "the call to ministry." Another wise and good resource would be Dave Harvey's (Sovereign Grace Ministries) "Am I Called? Discerning the Summons to Ministry" (the original article has now been replaced by a workshop with outlines and a different title).

Word of the Day

I remember watching Sesame Street back in the day and there would be these special words, letters and numbers "of-the-day." Along that rich tradition of early childhood education, I hope to promote that same fervor of excitement towards vocabulary.

So . . . the word for the day is "antidisestablishmentarianism." Its original meaning is derived from "establishment" which referred to the Church of England (church & state together - or the principle of a state church). I always thought that the "establishment" was something else (so my gay, middle age, white male, feminist humanities professor from San Francisco City College would often "drop").

Practical Biblical Ideas for the Selection of an an Elder

In addition to the primary references found in 1 Timothy 3.1 - 7 and Titus 1.5 - 9, Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears includes the following practical framework when selecting biblical elders (e.g. teaching elders/pastors, church planters, ruling elders, etc.) to oversee the local church:

- examine his family
- examine his financial giving to the church
- examine his performance at work
- examine his relationship with people outside the church
- examine his service in the church
- examine his spiritual gifts
- examine his ministry passions
- examine anything and everything else realted to his conversion, calling, character, courage and comptency

Both writes also suggest "appoint slowly and terminate quickly. Too many churches appoint quickly and terminate slowly, which is devasting to church unity and momentum."

(page 71, "Vintage Church" by Driscoll & Breshears)

Preaching Coach ~ Darrin Patrick

"A Preacher with His Bible" (originally posted over at the Acts 29 Network site; by Big Bad Darrin Patrick - a man of god)

Preaching Prep

A lot of preachers I coach want answers to these questions:

Why is my preaching not improving?
Why am I struggling to develop my preaching "voice?"
Why are people falling asleep when I preach?

One of the answers to these questions might have to do with how often they preach—they need more preaching "reps." But what do you do until then? You need preaching "preps." You need to be preached to every day from your Bible.

Peyton Manning does not just love to throw a football. He loves the football. When he was young he slept with the football under his arm. He knows how his fingers fit around the seams. He knows every contour of the ball. A preacher can't just love to preach, he has to love the Bible.

Good preparation that leads to effective preaching begins with letting Scripture examine, speak, and preach to us.

Steep in Scripture

My sermon prep begins with me, a cup of coffee, and my Bible. Only the coffee is optional. While I know my Bible well enough to have an opinion on a given text's meaning and how it fits into the overall story of the Bible, I like to focus and pray through specific words and phrases in the passage. This helps me "steep," or soak in the text so I can encounter God through the text.

This "steeping" or soaking does a couple of other things as well. It enables me to see the context of the passage clearly. Think of a juicy hamburger. The beef is the word, phrase, or verse you have chosen to meditate upon. All around the beef is the context—ketchup, pickles, cheese, and bun. Unless you are on the Atkins diet, you don't consume the cow without the bun and condiments. Likewise you don't take the word, phrase, or verse apart from its context.

Meditate on the Text

Meditating on the text allows me to bring the little story of the passage into the larger story of the Scripture. It helps me preach the specific verse or passage with a view into the larger context of Scripture. Here are some questions I think through to help me accomplish this:

What chapter is the passage in? What is the immediate context surrounding this passage that makes it unique in Scripture? Many times a passage is a reiteration of a previous argument, but look for why the author chose to stress this particular message again in your passage.

What book is the passage in? Recall the theme of the book you are studying, and if you don’t know the main themes or purpose of the book, do some research.

Who is the author? Think about the uniqueness this particular author brings to the Bible. Who was this author communicating to? What was unique about the audience—religious perspective, social standing, felt needs, etc…

Where does this passage fit in the overall story arc of the Bible? Does the passage function primarily as revelation of who God is, about God’s ability to create or about his creation, about the reality and depth of human sin and rebellion, about God’s redemptive power in Christ, or about the restoration of God’s creation and his children?

Where is Jesus in the text? What does the passage communicate about the person and purposes of Jesus? How does this passage expose the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world?

Get to know your Bible and be preached to, preacher man.

Listening to Chan, Driscoll and Harris

Intimate "fly-on-the-wall" listen to what three young, passionate pastors from the "restless & reformed" team have to say about many things . . . most interestingly is their discussion regarding the two prominent "gospels" in North American culture today: the prosperity gospel (God only sanctifies through material success) & the poverty (God only sanctifies through suffering) gospel. Interesting discussion that also reflects how many Christians, especially Chinese-Americans, are headed towards.

What's Next for Francis Chan? A Conversation with Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris from Ben Peays on Vimeo.

Rest in Peace

You will be missed Rev. Yik . . . you will be missed Coach Duane.

Seminaries & Inerrancy

Is it really that important whether or not a seminary holds to the inerrancy of Scripture? Which team should we be on?

For example, neither Regent College or Fuller Seminary hold to the position of inerrancy in their statements of faith. Then, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Talbot School of Theology clearly hold to the inerrancy of Scripture. In 10 to 20 years from now, how will those students affect the theological landscape of North America . . . or perhaps they already are. I can hear the arguement already, "well, I know 'so & so' from 'fill-in school' and they aren't liberal/conservative."

Preaching Quote ~ C.H. Spurgeon

"The sermon itself is the main thing: its matter, its aim, and the spirit in which it is brought before the people, the sacred anointing upon the preacher, and the divine power applying the truth to the hearer—these are infinitely more important than any details of manner. Posture and action are comparatively small and inconsiderable matters, but still even the sandal in the statue of Minerva should be correctly carved, and in the service of God even the smallest things should be regarded with holy care."

- Charles Haddon Spurgeon in "Lectures to My Students."

Community Service Announcement "RE: Decline in Values for Manhood"

*Are You An Obsessive Online Gamer?

EverQuest addiction? Many laugh at the thought, yet more cases are being seen each year. The highly addictive nature of online role-playing games impacts children and teenagers the most, but a growing number of adults are also getting hooked, and the latest craze is to online sports fantasy games.

Answer "yes" or "no" to the following statements to see if you may be addicted to online gaming:

1.Do you need to play online games with increasing amounts of time in order to achieve the desired excitement?
2.Are you preoccupied with gaming (thinking about it when offline, anticipating your next online session)?
3.Have you lied to friends and family members to conceal extent of your online gaming?
4.Do you feel restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop online gaming?
5.Have you made repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop online gaming?
6.Do you use gaming as a way of escaping from problems or relieve feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, or depression?
7.Have you jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, or even risked your marriage because of your online gaming habit?
8.Have you jeopardized a job, educational, or career opportunity because of your online gaming habit?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, you may be addicted to online gaming. These are common warning signs that you have lost control, lied, or possibly risked a relationship to support your gaming behavior. Why wait until it is too late to seek out help? Contact our Counseling Services today to receive fast, caring, and confidential advice to stop online gaming or read through our library of Books, eBooks and DVDs to help you find the information you need to understand Internet addiction and steps towards its recovery.

*Original post at netaddiction.com.

A recent article over at the NY Times highlights the emerging effects of heavy multitasking, over gaming and tech device dependence that has gradually infected the lives of most North Americans. Think twice before checking your Facebook, Twitter feed, IPOD app, email, whatever . . . you may be addicted . . . clinically proven addicted. "Technology is rewriting our brains . . ." Essentially, our bodies crave "dopamine squirts" that result when heavy multitasking on tech . . . without it our bodies feel bored and worse even depressed.

Asian-american affluence/self-centeredness + consumerism/materialism + technology = 30 year old guys still living at home (or the "one off" ~ the home purchased and down paid by mom), driving mom's car ~ also financed by mom, eating mom's food, leeching mom's bank account (bankrolled by moms like a freakin dealer ~ or getting transfers), laundry done by mom, playing World of Warcraft or PS3 till 4:00AM . . . ad naseum. Who cares if you have a 58" TV in your room!?!?!

What does that amount to? Insecure, overly sensitive, aimlessly wandering, wishful thinking, "banked" DEADBEATS! Deadbeats with credit cards - another dreadful global credit crisis in the making. Puh-lease brothas', quit yo' frontin' and "MAN the FREAK UP!" Get real jobs, move out (renting is no shame), find a girl who loves Jesus (more than you), marry her (before the local church community), and have kids (adoption is theologically on team) . . . ASAP! It's no family without kids. That alone ought to sanctify you. Also, go find a real girl not the fake one you starin' at on your screen. God help you.

(For the confused idiot - refer to the previous post)

Leadership Insights from a Former Navy SEAL

Residual takeaway from time spent watching Discovery Channel.

"Do you have the courage to start? Do you have the commitment to finish? Do you have the clarity of vision, to see exactly what you got to get done, that you are going to stick it out no matter what?"

"A man can only be beaten in two ways: if he gives up or if he dies."

- Former Navy SEAL, Zen Buddhist, Self-Protection Specialist Richard "Mack" Machowicz

What is an Evangelical?

"Evangelicalism is dead . . . Evangelical Christians no longer believe the Bible. Their real religion is Equality, which trumps their so called biblical convictions." (white supremacist radio talk show host James Edwards)

Over the past decade, I have heard and read that the team "Evangelical" referred to Protestants with a severe affinity for the gospel and Jesus. This was the team that held a high view of Scripture, the death & resurrection of Jesus, proclaimation of the gospel message, and the evidence of one's conversion (being born again) through "faith & deeds."

However, nowadays, everyone from the likes of Brian McLaren, Erwin McManus, John MacArthur, Tony Campolo, Jim Wallis, Elmer Towns, Chuck Swindoll, Chuck Smith, T.D. Jakes all apparently fall within this team. Nowadays, things are just not that simple anymore. Complicated? Quasi-neo-liberal social gospel-ites, open theists, prosperity gospel-types (with the lower case "g"), free will advocates, Calvinists, inclusive "warm fuzzy" inter-faith dialoguers, far right, far left, pro choice, pro life, same sex marriage advocate, traditional marriage advocate . . . the team doesn't seem to be on team anymore. Back in the day when Billy Graham started preaching, the team was simple and the lines were clear - today, the team is no longer a team but still tries to maintain the name, the theological lines are deeper and depending on which sub-team you are on - the lines may or may not be clear but "unattainable" and mysterious.

Is there such thing as loyalty to a team? In fact, does a "statement of faith" matter or hold worth in such an era as ours? One seminary boasts being "inclusive" while another boasts "biblical fidelity" ~ whether we like it or not, their clones have gone viral and the "evangelical community" will suffer. How does this play out theologically, missiologically and ecclesiologically? Shot gun blast, nuclear fallout, sniper round, cruise missile, chemical warfare, or the largest conventional weapon available post-cold war "a bunker buster"? Whatever we dump in the "front end" will come out the "back end" ~ we need to closely monitor and evaluate the "back end" damage.

When a white supremacist has a better take on the team, God have mercy on us all.

Hero of Last Month ~ My Rant

Former Principal Ken Fells of Graham Creighton Junior High of the Halifax School Board in Nova Scotia attempting to cease and desist 14 year old Josh Boutilier. Props to Fells who held his ground and put himself in a potentially dangerous situation as another student could have blind-sided him. As the parents of Boutilier create smoke and fallout over the incident, the rest of the country observes their clear irresponsible upbringing of another disrespectful, self-entitled, ignorant bastard of a boy . . . one who probably don't got no self-respecting Daddy who can teach him manhood at home.

Principal Fells, thank you for "manning up" when the boy was severely lacking.

Swagger Wagon

Yeah . . . jus' chillin' . . . wit' 'da familia.